What is one of your favorite things about writing?
There are a lot of things I enjoy about writing, but if I had to pick one special thing it would have to be the ability to escape into another reality. When life just gets to be too much, creating a place where you can be whatever you want to be for a while, or whoever you want to be, is very appealing.
When you’re brainstorming for a new story, what usually comes first for you, the plot or the characters?
Sometimes it’s the characters, but mostly the idea/plot presents itself, and then as I build the plot, or write it out, I know who needs to populate the world to make the story come to life. Names are often the last part of the starting process for me, but I always need a title, and often the one I start with is the one the story finishes with, too.
Are you a plotter or a pantser?
I have to plot for just about everything. I don’t like not knowing where I’m going, because then I never know when I’ve arrived! J Even a short story requires an outline of a few paragraphs.
Can you write sex scenes at any time or do you have to be “in the mood?”
I tend to just write them as the story needs them, no mood involved. I admit it’s often the sex scenes that stall me on a story because they’ve become tedious to me over the years.
What do you like best about writing?
The freedom to build worlds, entertain people with the ideas that are forever in my mind. I think mostly it’s just an awesome job. The editing process for me is my favourite part, though. Polishing the ideas, making them come to life with a good editor to give it life is just wonderful.
What is the most difficult thing about writing?
For me, the most difficult part is getting the first draft down. Once that’s done, the rest is fun.
What do you like about writing series books?
I’m answering this one primarily in response to the many times I am asked to revisit or write sequels to my books. I’m immensely flattered that people want more of certain stories, but for me when I write “the end” it usually is. I’m already moving on to something else entirely, and find it difficult to move in reverse then. I get bored with reading sequels, or series’ that go on for too many books, and that’s just my personal failing, I guess. I’m struggling now with a three part series, well, two of them really.
What do you feel are some of the pros and cons of epublishing?
On the pro side, epublishing has allowed many new authors the opportunity to be published and find an audience. It’s also in most cases a much quicker process. My first major novel was traditionally published and from the time I wrote to the time it was out in bookstores, ten years had passed. The con side of it, and this is just my opinion, is that epublishing has opened the floodgates to a lot of questionable “content” that is of little quality. There are people publishing who once would never have made it past an editor’s trash bin, and that lack of quality has damaged the industry’s credibility in a lot of ways. The idea that “anyone can be an author” has really become the mindset, and readers have become jaded, expecting and often getting, low quality stories.
Where do you find inspiration for your stories?
I find inspiration everywhere I look. An image catches my eye on the internet and I hear whispers of story. A song. An overheard bit of conversation. Even people I know inspire me, and sometimes become the template for a hero or heroine in a new book. My problem is not the lack of ideas, but the sheer abundance of them. I’d need to live two lifetimes at least just to write what I have in notebooks now!
What do you like best about writing erotic romance?
Erotic or sweet, the joy in writing romance is the process of two people falling in love and discovering parts of themselves they never really knew existed. Love is a powerful emotion, it dominants our lives in just about every way. When it’s new, it’s an adventure that takes you places in your heart, gives you unexpected strengths, and putting those things into place in a relationship that you are creating on a page is amazing!
What are your favorite research resources?
I do some research on the internet, but I still love books as my best resource. I have a lot of excellent books because I tend to write in many genres, and no matter how many times I visit an era, I always learn more.
Do you find it harder to write novels or short stories?
I write both, and one is no harder than the other. One obviously takes longer than the other, of course. A novel gives you the opportunity to explore in more depth, but sometimes all there is to say can be said in a shorter story. I let the story tell me what it wants.
Would you tell us about your latest release?
At the moment, I can barely remember by latest release. The past two months have seen seven books released, or re-released for me, so it’s something of a blur. For this interview, we’ll use Champagne and Chocolate as the latest release. It’s an historical Western, because I have adored that era from the time I was a child. I think I was born in love with Richard Boone’s Paladin from Have Gun, Will Travel, even though the show is older than I am! He is certainly something of a template for the men of that era in my stories. Austin Standish from Champagne and Chocolate has many elements of Paladin in his personality. His refinement, his taste, his sense of honour. And his deadly ability with a gun. It begins at a high end brothel and casino, and things move quickly once Mr. Standish gets his wish and wins a night with the owner, Chantille L’Amour, a lady from the South who decided she didn’t like poverty with honour. She moved to San Francisco and opened what became the hottest spot on the Barbary Coast, attracting gamblers, cowboys, and pirates.
ARe Romance | Smashwords | Publisher | Barnes & Noble | Amazon
What are you working on now?
At the moment I have several new novels in various stages of writing, but what I’m most busy with is the revisions on what will be my best novel in ages, a contemporary novel called Grande Amore. That one is set in Italy, Roma and Amalfi, and the hero is an international singer with a dark past. I think it’s going to be very appealing when it’s finally out there for people.
Do you have an excerpt from your latest release you would like to share?
Excerpt:
Chantille watched Standish from her vantage point at the end of the bar. He was a handsome man, one she’d noticed on several occasions. As he stood, she took quick inventory of his appearance, chewing her bottom lip unconsciously as she absorbed the man’s almost palpable presence.
At a height of over six feet, Austin Standish was a man not easily overlooked. He had sandy blond hair with a lock that perpetually fell over his forehead. Under the shaggy blond hair, the most startling green eyes Chantille had ever seen missed nothing that came within their scrutiny. His face was a fascinating blend of angles and contours, the individual features not perfect, yet the overall combination completely arresting and pleasing to the appreciative eye. He was slender, yet there was an undeniable sense of strength and power in the long line of his body. Tonight, as on other nights, he’d chosen a suit of black, the inky shade contrasted sharply by the stark white of his shirt. The frills at his cuffs and along the front of the shirt could have lessened the impact of strong masculinity that emanated from him, but, instead, they only added to his imposing aura. His brocade waistcoat was a shade of palest gray, adorned by a gold watch chain that disappeared in a pocket at his left. Silver-trimmed boots finished the polished and cultured image, and Chantille wondered how he’d remained a free man for so long. She didn’t doubt for an instant that the company of women was something he never lacked.
She straightened when he caught her gaze and began to walk in her direction. Deep inside, she began to quiver, and the awareness that he could shake her so intensely with no effort was both disconcerting and annoying. Yet….
“Miss L’Amour.” Austin smiled when he reached her side. “Would you do me the honor of joining me for dinner?”
“Thank you, no,” she replied. “Have you come to collect your winnings, Mr. Standish?”
“If you can’t be persuaded to grant me your company, then I’ll have to settle for your money.”
“You’re far too charming to suffer loneliness,” she countered. She walked away from the bar and led him into her office. She arched one eyebrow in subtle surprise when he closed the door behind them.
“I assure you, Mr. Standish,” she said, her tone cool, “money is all you will be collecting in this office.”
Austin continued into the small room until he was directly in front of her and she had to tilt her head back to hold his gaze. The gleam of amusement in the deep green eyes that bored into her was irritating, and intriguing.
“Are you certain I can’t change your mind about dinner?”
“Not entirely,” she conceded with a smile that wanted to become laughter.
“Ahh,” he whispered. “Hope at last.”
“Hope has a way of disappearing just when you’re learning to count on it, Mr. Standish.”
“But the times it doesn’t are so sweet it makes the disappointments bearable, Miss L’Amour.”
“Right you are, sir,” she agreed with a thoughtful smile. She made a decision then, a reckless choice that she didn’t take time to consider. “Perhaps I could persuade you to dine with me in my suite?”
Austin’s gaze was pensive, and she wondered, with a tiny leap of panic, if she’d miscalculated his interest.
“It’s never a good idea to offer a man paradise if your plan is to shut the gates before he has a chance to come inside, Miss L’Amour.”
It was a veiled warning, but a warning just the same. This man was not one to be toyed with or played for a fool. He was drawing her a little more deeply into his presence, in spite of herself.
“And you think I’m offering you paradise, Mr. Standish?”
“I’m fairly certain of it, yes,” he murmured, voice low and compelling.
She smiled and went past him to the safe that was in her office. She collected his money and brought it to him.
“Your winnings, Mr.—”
“Austin.”
“Austin,” she said.
He took a double-eagle from the pocket of his waistcoat and held it between his index and middle fingers. With a quick grin, he slipped it into the valley between her breasts, caressing silken skin for the briefest instant before drawing his hand back. Something betrayed her reaction and made his smile deepen.
“You take liberties with great ease,” she whispered, her voice husky and exotic.
“Before the night’s over, I plan to take a great many more,” he assured her.
“Perhaps I’ll be the one to take liberties tonight, Mr. Standish.”
“I’d be delighted to put myself in your hands, Miss L’Amour.”
She smiled. “Would you wait here for a few moments? I have to speak to my maid.”
ARe Romance | Smashwords | Publisher | Barnes & Noble | Amazon
What three words would the hero of your story use to describe his love interest?
Smart, strong, passionate.
What three words would the heroine of your story use to describe her love interest?
Honourable, confident, dangerous.
If the main characters in your latest release were invited to a masquerade party, what costumes would they wear?
Since they’re from an historical setting, probably their regular clothes, and doesn’t that give me another story idea??? Hmmmm…..
What makes the hero of CHAMPAGNE AND CHOCOLATE hot?
I think he’s hot because he is a confident man who sees a vulnerability in Chantille that is equal to her courage and strength, and he admires it. He’s a dangerous man who lives in a world of shadows at times, but he’s also a classy and sophisticated man, and he knows she is more than equal to him in every way, including her passion.
Would you give us a sneak peek at one of your upcoming releases?
GRANDE AMORE:
“We’re picking up too much noise!”
Biting back a curse, Riccardo Bartolinni crossed the distance separating him from the sound engineer who was scowling at the electronic board in front of him.
“This was supposed to be finished today!” He took the headphones that were pointedly thrust at him and lifted one of the padded cups to his ear. He immediately heard the telltale static of raised voices filtering past his music.
They were shooting the location pieces that would turn the video for Man of a Thousand Dreams into another international hit for the singer who was, for many women, the man of a thousand dreams. The song was a strong, dramatic, romantic ballad, the kind that had sold millions worldwide. Creating the video in Rome was being done at Riccardo’s request, because it would allow him to then go home to Amalfi for a brief vacation. The music overlay was easily done in the studio, background noise wasn’t a technical problem, as such. Riccardo liked to actually sing though, not lip-synch, even for his videos, so they did try to keep the background noise minimal.
He handed the headphones back to the sound technician and turned, slowly scanning past the curious spectators who’d stopped to watch the film crew. A couple leaned together, and the change in their positions gave him a clear line of vision to the caffè next to their location. Standing next to a table was the owner, Enrico Scala, an old family friend. His deeply tanned face was livid with anger as he shouted at the good-looking young man who was responding with equal intensity.
But, it was the girl seated at the table, watching with horrified confusion that stirred empathy in him. She was staring at the two men, her eyes wide. In the afternoon sunlight, the burnished auburn of her flowing hair caught the rays like tongues of flame, and he smiled.
“Let me see what I can do,” he said without glancing back. Ignoring the raised voices in his wake, he strode past the onlookers who cleared a path for him as he went straight for the caffè.
Arriving unnoticed by the two men shouting at each other, Riccardo paused for a moment to listen to the cause of the argument. It didn’t take long to understand what was going on and his irritation surfaced swiftly. From the corner of his eye he noticed the girl appeared ready to make a run for it.
“Enrico?”
The relief on the older man’s face was almost comical. He spoke in Italian, and asked what was causing the disruption. The young man who’d been the cause of the noisy dispute told him to mind his own business. He was ignored, and Enrico quickly verified that his assumption was correct.
The girl was a tourist with little knowledge of the language, and the boy was trying to take advantage of that fact. Riccardo turned his stare to the angry man. He saw recognition in the other man’s eyes, and wariness.
“Enrico tells me you claim this young woman is your girlfriend?” He smiled, and knew the expression lacked any real friendliness. “She does not seem happy to be with you.”
“What business is it of yours?”
“None at all,” Riccardo agreed. “But unless you can convince me, I will ask her myself. What will she tell me?” The challenge in his tone was unmistakable, and the flash of anger in the other man’s eyes flared recklessly, then the stranger offered a rude gesture as reply, followed by an even ruder suggestion as to what Riccardo could do with himself and the girl.
Enrico’s stifled laugh made Riccardo’s eyes narrow when he looked at his old friend, but he couldn’t suppress the smile that tugged at the corners of his mouth.
“My apologies, Signorina,” he said, in English, when he turned his attention to the edgy girl. “May I join you for coffee?” He actually laughed at the look of near-fright she couldn’t hide quickly enough. “I assure you, coffee is all I am suggesting we share.” Another quick glance over her appealing presence made him wonder if he’d just lied to her, however inadvertently. She was curvaceous and extremely feminine, the type that always attracted his attention. Aside from the beautiful mane of flowing hair, her face was gently contoured into appealing lines, and the curving bow of her mouth stirred a small tremor of deeper awareness inside him.
When she nodded, albeit reluctantly, he sat at the table. Enrico departed, and returned moments later with two cups of latte, and several delectable looking pastries.
“He was not your boyfriend.” He didn’t offer it as a question, more a statement he wished her to confirm, and she sighed.
“I have no idea who he was,” she replied. “Is that what he told you?”
“Among other things,” Riccardo answered with a smile. His eyebrow rose and his interest piqued when she didn’t respond other than to nod. There was a bleak resignation in her lovely green eyes that seemed distinctly wrong for her. There was also no recognition in their depths. Was it possible she really didn’t know who he was? The idea pleased him. It was a novel change.
“My name is Riccardo Bartolinni,” he told her. When she smiled politely and offered her hand, he lifted it to drop a light kiss on her knuckles.
A light flush of pink tinted her cheeks.
“I’m Jillian Light,” she offered in a voice that was barely more than a whisper, then she hid behind the amenity of stirring her latte.
“How long have you been in Rome?”
“Long enough to get hopelessly lost.”
He laughed. “You shouldn’t be alone, Jillian, especially without proper knowledge of the language.”
Her eyes sparked with annoyance, but the truth of his words was not something she could argue with, and she nodded in agreement. “I lost the group I was with; they went ahead when I stopped to look at the fountain across the way. I thought Luisa would notice, but she hasn’t come back.”
“Where is your hotel?”
“I wish I knew. It’s the Hotel Forte, near the Spanish Steps.”
She made the statement with annoyance, but he knew it was self-directed.
Would you share one of the sexiest or most romantic lines from one of your books?
Since it doesn’t make sense as a single line, I’ll show you the few that make it work – at least for me:
“Insightful is often more truthful. You’re still waiting for a woman who can be all things to you, and know your heart like she knows her own.” She met his gaze without a flicker of uncertainty in her expression when she added, “A woman who respects your work, your spirit, your masculinity, and your arrogance, and loves you in spite of them, as well as because of them.”
“A man who sees your wisdom, your strength, and your capacity to love. A man who trusts you to keep his heart safe, and to love him even in his weakness.”
Her eyebrows rose and she sat back, eyes never leaving his handsome face. He was mesmerizing, and it was as effortless as breathing to him.
“Perhaps we want too much?”
He laughed. “Perhaps others want too little?”
What are a few of your favorite book covers that have been done for your books?
Kayden McLeod has done some truly spectacular book covers for me, and she never ceases to amaze me with her instinctive understanding of what an author wants, then makes magic happen. (Out of the Past, Winner Take All, Stolen Rapture, Pas de Deux, Heart of Stone, Pirates, to name a few!) Fiona Jayde did the gorgeous cover of Champagne and Chocolate and it’s one of my favourites, as well!
If you could meet one of your characters, which one would it be?
Inspector Michael Devane from the Devane Files – OUT OF HELL and AN UNEXPECTED BETRAYAL. He’s a clairvoyant opium addict in Victorian London who worked on the Ripper case and is haunted by it.
Do you prefer writing your heroes, your heroines or do you like writing both equally?
I’ve been told by my best editor that I write better heroes than heroines, and create them with more depth and attention. I love some of my heroines, but I was once told I write bitches, and I think it always makes me question myself more with the female characters.
If you could step into one of your books, which one would it be?
Champagne and Chocolate, really. I love everything about the story, the people in it, the place, the time…
Would you tell us about yourself?
The quick version is that I am a Canadian who’s written in the vicinity of 500-600 stories since I began writing in 1984. I’ve won numerous awards, and I have no one genre that I write in, because I love to explore and change things. I get bored easily, which isn’t good in many way, so I thrive on change and challenge, and love to try new ways of storytelling. I am a full-time caregiver, have been an accounting clerk, an inventory clerk, retail jewellery designer, and a few other odd jobs that weren’t overly memorable. I published professionally for the first time in 2004 after winning a writing contest, and I haven’t looked back!
What are your favorite genres to read and write?
I love reading fantasy and romance, and historical romance is a special favourite of mine. I write paranormal with great ease, and have been doing a lot more contemporary than I ever would have thought I’d do. All in all, eclectic tastes for work and leisure.
Where can we visit you online?
Website | Fantasy Pages (general) | Bound by Passion (adult content) | Newsletter | Twitter | Facebook | Pinterest | LinkedIn | Tumblr | Google+ | Romance and Fantasy Google+ Page | Amazon Author Page
When you’re not writing, what do you like to do?
Read, go for walks in the local park, research. I’ve been watching DVDs lately, and most people who know me are aware that I never watch television, so even now I’m watching older shows.
To you what makes a great romance hero?
A great romance hero is a man who embodies what we want men to be, I think. Someone strong, protective, confident, secure in himself, who is not afraid to put it all on the line for the woman he loves. He has to be smart, honest, a man of integrity and determination. A man who makes his lady feel like she is the only one in the world for him, and maybe to a large degree the only one who knows the man he is inside.
To you what makes a great romance heroine?
A woman who isn’t afraid to be afraid, or vulnerable. A woman who understands that being vulnerable doesn’t mean she’s weak, in fact quite the opposite. Confident, passionate, honest, someone willing to grow but not someone who changes to be with the man she wants. She has to be comfortable with herself and her life, love herself.
Where would you go on your dream vacation?
Italy, or Romania – both countries are so rich in history and beauty.
Name three fictional characters (not your own) that you find hot. They can be from books, movies, or TV.
Gabriel Van Helsing (Hugh Jackman’s Van Helsing), Dorian Gray (League of Extraordinary Gentlemen’s Stuart Townsend), and Lucan Thorne from Lara Adrian’s Kiss of Midnight.
If you could be any kind of shapeshifter, what kind would you be?
Wolf, definitely. Wolves are one of the Creator’s more perfect works, they are loyal, family/pack oriented, they mate for life, they are breath-taking and beautiful.
What is your favorite season?
Autumn, it’s beautiful, temperate, and the air is crisp and fresh.
What book are you currently reading?
Elisabeth Naughton’s Eternal Guardians series.
What is the last movie you watched?
Pirates of the Caribbean, Curse of the Black Pearl. (I also saw it 8 times in theatre the summer it came out – it was my sanity maintenance that year!)
What is your favorite comfort food?
Pasta, and sparkling Italian white wine. Snack fav is popcorn!
Do you have any pets?
The family pet is our year old Siberian Husky, Kira.
CONTEST: We’ll pick two random commenters, and they will be given a copy of one of the current releases, which are: Texas Heat, Champagne and Chocolate, Triad of Power: First Quest, Retribution: Silent Death, Pas de Deux, Winner Take All, or A Whisper of Humanity.
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That was just awesome Denyse!!!
Your a great writer! I love reading everything you write!
So many releases, wow! Enjoyed reading the interview! Autumn is my fav season and I love Huskies! 😀
I enjoyed your interview and can’t wait to read any of your books.
I love the words you chose for the hero and heroine to describe each other.
Smart, passionate a perfect pairing for a heroine to be. Honorable, dangerous …. what more can a heroine ask for…. knowing that the hero is good even though he is a “bad boy”?
Wonderful interview! I love getting to know more of my favorite peoples! I am looking forward to what you have in store for us.
Thank you so much, everyone. This was one of the best interviews I’ve done in a very long time – thank you so much, Kate – for the great questions, and for allowing me to share your space today. Much appreciated.
Hugs and blessings to you all ~ D